 | Term | Definition |
| |
Abysmal |
very deep; very bad |
| |
Approbation |
approval [opp. disapprobation] |
| |
Bent (n) |
inclination; aptitude |
| |
Cadge |
get by begging |
| |
Debacle |
disaster |
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Extemporize |
speak without preparation or rehearsal [extemporaneous (a)] |
| |
Incumbents |
occupiers of a job or position |
| |
Lambaste |
attack verbally |
| |
Noisome |
disgusting |
| |
Pastiche |
work (usually artistic) which imitates, or is composed of parts taken from varied sources |
| |
Arboreal |
living in trees; concerned with trees |
| |
Centrifuge |
device to separate substances by spinning them at high speed |
| |
Cloistered |
isolated |
| |
Disabuse |
make someone aware of an error in thinking |
| |
Engendering |
causing; bringing into being [engender (v)] |
| |
Intemperate |
excessive; immoderate [intemperance (n)] |
| |
Lugubrious |
sad; gloomy |
| |
Nonplussed |
confused |
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Pedagogy |
science of education; teaching |
| |
Satiate |
satisfy; fill completely [satiable (a); satiation (n)] |
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Slake |
quench; satisfy |
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Artless |
without effort; without trickery; simple |
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Comeliness |
beauty; prettiness [comely (a)] |
| |
Doff |
take off (esp. of a hat) |
| |
Don |
put on (esp. of clothes) |
| |
Erudition |
learning; scholarly knowledge [erudite (a)] |
| |
Plaintive |
sad; mournful |
| |
Suborn |
bribe |
| |
Tendentious |
dogmatic; biased |
| |
Tortuous |
indirect; winding |
| |
Verbiage |
excessive or meaningless wordiness |
| |
Atonement |
making amends for sin or crime [atone (v)] |
| |
Complaisance |
flexibility; willingness to please [complaisant (a)] |
| |
Daguerreotype |
forerunner of the photograph |
| |
Fawn |
behave in a sycophantic way; grovel [fawning (a)] |
| |
Gregariousness |
sociability; liking for crowds [gregarious (a)] |
| |
Nascent |
emerging; newly formed |
| |
Paean |
praise; tribute (esp. in song) |
| |
Reproof |
scolding; criticism [reprove (v)] |
| |
Scurvy |
1. disease due to lack of vitamin C; 2. contemptible; rascally |
| |
Tutelary |
serving as a guardian [tutelage (n)] |
| |
Abscission |
cutting; process causing leaves to fall off |
| |
Contentious |
causing argument [contention (n); contend (v)] |
| |
Debilitating |
weakening [debilitate (v)] |
| |
Foible |
quirk; minor weakness |
| |
Importune |
beg; solicit [importunate (a)] |
| |
Pertain |
be relevant to [pertinent (a)] |
| |
Slew |
glut; excess |
| |
Toady |
sycophant; flatterer |
| |
Torrid |
hot and steamy |
| |
Veracious |
true [veracity (n)] |
| |
Asperity |
using harsh or critical tone |
| |
Blowhard |
boastful person |
| |
Disingenuous |
naïve |
| |
Evanescent |
short-lived [evanescence (n)] |
| |
Intangible |
cannot be touched; abstract [intangibility (n)] |
| |
Labile |
changing rapidly; unstable |
| |
Malapropism |
use of similar sounding but incorrect word |
| |
Posture (v) |
to put on an act |
| |
Proximate |
immediate; nearest |
| |
Pugnacious |
aggressive, ready to fight [pugnacity (n)] |
| |
Foreshadowed |
indicated a future event [foreshadow (v)] |
| |
Gaucherie |
awkwardness [gauche (a)] |
| |
Heterodox |
unorthodox |
| |
Inscrutability |
quality of being difficult to comprehend [inscrutable (a)] |
| |
Limerick |
short amusing poem |
| |
Mannered |
stylized; pretentious |
| |
Pluck (n) |
courage |
| |
Sedulous |
persevering; eager and thorough |
| |
Syllogism |
type of logical reasoning |
| |
Vicissitude |
unexpected change in fortune or circumstances |
| |
Acolyte |
disciple; follower or attendant |
| |
Admonitory |
scolding [admonition (n)] |
| |
Caprices |
whimsies; fancies |
| |
Cornucopia |
symbol (horn filled with fruit etc.) denoting natural abundance |
| |
Deferential |
showing respect [deference (n); defer (v)] |
| |
Intractability |
stubbornness; resistance [intractable (a)] |
| |
Luminary |
eminent person |
| |
Minion |
underling; servant |
| |
Under gird |
support; strengthen |
| |
Vitiate |
weaken; sap energy |
| |
Coterie |
clique; small group with common interests |
| |
Denigrate |
decry; criticize; belittle |
| |
Empirical |
found by experiment or practice |
| |
Gainsay |
contradict |
| |
Hyperbole |
exaggeration [hyperbolic (a)] |
| |
Modest |
1. bashful; unpretentious; 2. not excessive |
| |
Prolixity |
wordiness [prolix (a)] |
| |
Rebus |
puzzle in which pictures give clues |
| |
Sere |
withered; old |
| |
Vulpine |
like a fox [compare with bovine (cow-like); porcine (pig-like), etc.] |
| |
Corroborate |
give supporting evidence [corroboration (n)] |
| |
Exacerbated |
made worse [exacerbate (v); exacerbation (n)] |
| |
Exact (v) |
to demand; extort |
| |
Faddish |
whimsical; following a fashion |
| |
Hapless |
unlucky |
| |
Misconstrue |
put a wrong interpretation on something |
| |
Perennial |
long-lasting |
| |
Rent |
torn (past participle of the verb to rend) |
| |
Shard |
fragment of pottery |
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